


When Love Dies

by minstreltroubadour



Category: Outlander & Related Fandoms, Outlander (TV), Outlander Series - Diana Gabaldon
Genre: Character Death, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-11
Updated: 2019-01-11
Packaged: 2019-10-08 09:14:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,128
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17383826
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/minstreltroubadour/pseuds/minstreltroubadour
Summary: AU. One-shot. Major Character Death. In which Claire and Bree doesn't deserve Jamie for the way they (over) reacted in 4x10.





	When Love Dies

**Author's Note:**

> Nobody ain't going to be happy about this but here is. Let it rip at the comments section.

Brianna was woken up once again by a shuffling noise around her room. When she woke up, she saw Roger’s hulking figure looming over her once again. She hesitated to move, fearing it might be another nightmare but she felt a natural pull in seeing his face and it gave her a little courage to come close.

“Roger” she called up as she rose from the bed but didn’t attempt to run to him.

“Bree” he called back. He must’ve sensed her hesitation, so he took the first step towards her. He took a seat at the feet of her bed and the dip of his weight made Brianna tear up.

“Are you real? Roger, are you here?”

Slowly, he reached out for her hand until he held it in his. “Aye, I am”

They came together in a crushing hug and Brianna let all her tears fall. After a while, they pulled away and Roger’s hand moved instinctly to her huge stomach. Her voice hitched and she started to ramble “I...I’m sorry. I don’t know how much my mother told you. I…I’m keeping this and I don’t know if you…”

“I’m here, aren’t I?” Roger interrupted. “I dinna care, Brianna. I dinna care. I am yours and ye are mine and this little one – no matter what – is ours. I make ye a vow, this is a child of my blood and I will do everything I can to make sure yer safe and ye’ll both be fine.”

Brianna came close again for a hug and continued to sob happy tears.

_Here._

_Safe._

_Fine._

Just as her Da promised.

“He gave you back to me” Bree whispered to Roger. “He made good on his word”

Even without context, Roger knew what she was talking about. “Aye, he did”

Bree pulled away from his hug, smiling. Roger looked at her and saw the light in her eyes that he knew he’d take away so soon. “Where is he? Where are they?” She was starting to get up, pull over a scarf and made a dash for the door when Roger quickly pulled her back.

“Bree” Roger called out and she already knew something was wrong. “Something happened when they pulled me out from the Cherokee. Please, sit down.” She did as told and held on to her belly.

“A lot transpired in between but in the end, Ian offered himself for my release, the Cherokee accepted the exchange and everything was settled. However, a small group wasna pleased….” He shrugged and hesitated, unable, really, to tell her how. “We didna see it coming”

“What are you saying?” Bree was so confused

“Jamie. He isn’t here. He’s…gone”

_No._

Pain was, suddenly, all that Bree felt and she didn’t hear Roger say that how her mother tended to him all she could and did not hear his protests for her not to go out the yard in a chilly night in her condition.

Tears swelled from her eyes and this time, not from joy. She quickly got up and headed downstairs to her mother.

_Oh god, her mother._

If she felt pain like this from a man she just knew, how was her mother faring losing the man she craved for got twenty years.

She came out the door to find to an empty yard save only the cart, her mother and the lifeless form of her father. Claire was lying on her side, looking and caressing Jamie’s face, the only part of his body that isn’t covered by a blanket. Bree saw her mother’s eyes retreat to something she’d seen thousands of times before back in their own time – it was blank, tearless, completely dazed and completely lost.

Bree ran towards them but her mother didn’t even shoot her a look as she came. She had to put her hands on her mouth to keep her from screaming as the reality of her father’s death consumed her.

She couldn’t climb the cart but the plank was low and she can see and reach for him.

“Da!” Bree called as she tried to look for his hand to touch. “Da!!” she said, breaking, as she finally found his hand under the blanket and its coldness made her more heartbroken. He really was gone and she let her tears freely fall.

“It’s not your fault” her mother finally said. Bree didn’t know if it was for her, for Jamie or herself – or maybe it was all of them.

“He wanted you to know that it isn’t your fault, that you shouldn’t blame yourself for all this. He made me promise to tell you that he doesn’t regret trying to bring Roger back to you because he knew he kept his word and he knew ye’d be happy and he’s happy that you’re happy. He wanted you to know that he loves you very much, his words are not enough to describe it. He thanks you for giving him a chance to be a father and wants you to know that being with you, being able to see you and spend time with you in the last weeks has meant so much to him. All he hopes is that you find it in your heart to forgive him for the pain he’s caused you to absolve his soul.” Claire revealed, stating Jamie’s last words for Bree while still looking and caressing Jamie’s face. It wasn’t lost on Bree that her mother was unable to look at her.

“Mama, I’m – “ Bree paused, sure how any of her words will help but she needed her mother to know. "I'm sorry."

Claire was unmoved but continued to speak. “I tried to keep him alive and he tried to live until we got back here just so he can see you and say these things himself but there was just too much” Claire paused, stunned. “There was nothing else I could do in this time to save him.”

Silence followed between them, unable to say or do anything really, but grieve on their own for a while as they processed what just happened. After a while, her mother spoke again.  

“Bree, can you please go back to Roger inside please?” Bree understood that her mother was holding it back until she was alone finally let her pain and sorrow show. Although Bree was heartbroken for causing this much pain, what killed her more is knowing that she let true love be separated again and this time it is for good.

She went back to her room and found Roger seated in one of the big, plushy chairs. She immediately climbed to Roger’s lap and clung to him as they heard Claire try to muffle her loud cries by burying herself in Jamie’s body.

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, this fic came about because I really didn't like how the writers wrote the Fraser Family confrontation in 4x10. They skipped the fire cuddle scene with Jamie and Bree and immediately went to the confusion reveal. What I didn't like in the episode is when Brianna hit Jamie and retreated to calling him by his first name and her deliberately excluding him from her life at the Ridge. And in all these CLAIRE was just STANDING ASIDE and ALLOWED it to happen and the gap to flourish. She didn't to anything to defend her husband to her daughter, nor, for some reason, tried to understand her husband or make her husband understand by calmly pointing out where he was wrong.
> 
> Brianna's anger is valid but it kills me that the writers didn't allow for much room for a little understanding since there were lies and deception from ALL characters in this scenario. Claire's distance was so uncharacteristic. All I am saying is IT COULD'VE BEEN HANDLED BETTER. 
> 
> Bottomline, I'm just sad, angry and heartbroken with this episode and this fic stemmed out. I thought Claire and Bree doesn't deserve Jamie and Jamie doesn't deserve this isolation from his lasses too. So I made their anger pay with their grief. 
> 
> Thank you for reading. I'm shocked that you still do or did. This is my first time attempting to write a death fic and as always, would love your feedback to improve my writing.


End file.
